Resonance augmenting means for accordions



Jan. 3.7, 1956 A. loRlo RESONANCE AUGMENTING MEANS FOR AccoRDoNs FiledJuly 5, 1955 '.5 Sheets-Sheet l INI/ENTOR.

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Jan. 17, 1956 A. loRlo 2,730,919

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Jan. 17, 1956 A. loRlo 2,730,919

RESONANCE AUGMENTING MEANS FOR ACCORDIONS Filed July 3, 1953 3Sheets-Sheet 3 j IN VEN TOR.

ff/WEEK@ JUE/ United States Patent() "ice RESONANCE AUGMENTING lVIEANSFOR ACCORDIONS Amedeo Iorio, Flushing, N. Y.

Application July 3, 1953, Serial No. 365,913

1 Claim. (Cl. 84-376) This invention relates to accordions.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improvedaccordion construction wherein the musical notes will be characterizedby a richer, more resonant quality.

lt is another object of the present invention to provide an accordion ofthe above type wherein resonant chambers are provided intermediate thepanel openings controlled by the keyboard of the accordion and thechambers containing the blow and draw reeds.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an accordion ofthe above type wherein the air causing the musical sounds will be forcedto assume a substantially S-shaped direction when passing through theseresonant chambers.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide animproved accordion construction of the above type wherein the aircausing the sounds will be forced to pass through these resonantchambers in a substantially vertical direction.

it is still another object of the present invention to provide animproved accordion construction of the above type wherein only four rowsof openings are provided in the panel controlled by the accordionkeyboard, the two innermost rows being in direct communication with thechambers containing the blow and draw reeds.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improvedaccordion construction bearing the above objects in mind which is ofsimple construction, inexpensive to manufacture, is easy to use andefficient in operation.

The above as well as additional objects will become apparent in thefollowing description, wherein characters of reference refer tolike-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. It is to be noted thatthe drawing is intended to serve the purpose of illustration only, andthat it is neither desired nor intended to limit the inventionnecessarily to any or all of the eXact details of construction shownexcept insofar as they may be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring brieily to the drawing,

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of an accordion embodying thefeatures of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the improved accordionconstruction, the upper portion thereof being shown partly broken awayto illustrate the resonant chambers.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken along the line3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2 butillustrating a modied form of the invention.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2 butillustrating a still further modiiied form of the invention. y

Referring now to the iigures, V represents one-half ofthe accordionconnected to the other half 11 by means of the bellows 12 in the usualmanner of accordion constructions.

2,730,919 Pdtented Jan. 17, 1956 A hinged locking device 13 serves toretain the bellows 12 in the compressed position when the accordion isnot in use.

The half 10 is open at the bottom where it is connected to the bellows12 and is provided on its upwardly sloping top wall 14 with a pluralityof elongated, longitudinally spaced air and sound openings 1S. The topwall 14 terminates short of the side wall 16 (Fig. 2), the latter beingintegrally formed with the upwardly eX- tending, keyboard base portion17 which terminates in the bevelled wall 18.

A panel 19 is secured across the top of the portion 10 below the topwall 14 by means of the strips 20, a panel 19 being provided withlaterally aligned, longitudinally extending rows of rectangular openings21.

A longitudinal member 22. is suitably secured to the keyboard base 17 atthe inner end thereof and serves to iiXedly mount a plurality of anglebrackets 23 which rotatably mount the connector members 24. Alternateconnector elements 24 are iixedly connected to the arms 25 whichterminate in the feet 26 provided with felt pads on their undersurface27. lt will be noted that the aligned openings 21, when in the positionof Figs. l and 2, are adapted to be closed by the feet 26. The otherconnector elements Z4 are connected to arms 28, longer than arms 25,which terminate in feet 29 provided on their undersurface with felt 30.lt will be noted that each of the feet 29 is adapted to close threetransversely aligned openings 21 remote from the keyboard base 17.

Tapered members 31 are connected to the connector elements 24, themembers 31 being pivotally mounted, as at 32. White keys 33 controllingthe arms 28 and black keys 34 controlling the arms 25 are mounted on thetop of the tapered members 31 in the usual manner of such constructions,the inner face of base portion 17 mounting a substantially T-shaped incross section member 35 provided along its upper edge withlongitudinally spaced slots 36 which serve as guides for the taperedmembers 31 during movement to and from the base portion 17. Springs 37are connected to the tapered members 31 at one end and rest on themember 3S at the other, serving to retain the feet 26 and 29 in theclosed position on openings 21. An elongated strip 38 is secured to theinner face of base portion 17 adjacent the bevelled end 18, and servesto mount a strip of felt 39 which is adapted to abut the outer bottomedge of the members 31.

A second panel 40 provided on its upper surface with four longitudinallyextending, parallel ridges 41, 42 and 43 is secured below the four innerrows of openings 2l, the panel itl being provided with openings 44aligned with the openings 21. The laterally spaced ridges 41, 4?. and 43serve to slidably mount a plurality of elongated slides 45 provided withopenings 46 adapted to be brought in and out of alignment with theopenings ..1 and 44 in a well known manner. The slides 45 arereciprocated by means of push buttons, not shown, in a manner well knownto those skilled in the art.

A third panel 47 is secured below the panel 4t?, and is provided withopenings aligned with the openings 21 and 44. Elongated chambers 48 and49, open at the top, are secured to the undersurface of panel 47 and areprovided with vertically extending, longitudinally spaced openings onythe inside and outside of which are positioned the blow and draw reeds50, in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. See Fig. l andFig. 2. Thus, during operation of the accordion andthe movement of thebellows 12, air will pass in and out of the openings 15 to passdownwardly through the openings 21 upon movement of the appropriate keys33 and 34 and slides 45, to pass downwardly into the charnbers 48 and 49and the openings provided with the reeds 50, all in a manner well knownto those skilled in the art.

In the practice of my invention, a pair of elongated, resonance chambersare provided below the panel 19 below the outermost rows of openings 2lto impart richer tones and more resonance to the musical sounds. 1Eachof these chambers is identical in construction, and therefore only onewill be described in detail. Each chamber comprises an elongated sidewall Si secured to the inner face of the sides of half 10, the upL edgesor" the side walls 51 abutting the undersurfacc of panel ai'. A secondside wall 52 is secured to the undersurtace of panel i9, the upper edgesof the side walls :32 being substantially aligned vertically with theinner side of the outermost openings 2l (Fig. 2). An elon .t ott-om wall53 is suitably secured to the lower g side walls 5l and 52, the wal 53on the an side wall 51 being provided with longitudina openings '5t-.-corresponding to each of the outermost ro e.' of openings 2l. Transversewalls 55 divide the resonance chambers into compartments on cach side ofeach of the openings 54.

A panel provided on its upper si race with ridges 5'7 and 58 is securedto the undersurface or' bottoni wall 53 below openings and serves toslidably mount a slide 59 having a plurality or openings 65 adapted tobe aligned with the openings S4, of wall 53. The panel 56 is providedwith openings 6i aligned vertically -with the openings 5d. The end otslide 59 is integrally formed with a vertically twisted extension havingan opening which receives the end of link 63, the link 63 beingcontrolled by push buttons, not shown, in a `(Jell known manner to thoseskilled in the art. A panel 6ftis secured to the undersurface or panel56, having openings aligned with the openings 6i and serving to supportthe chamber provided with the blow reeds and draw reeds, not shown, eachpair of adjacent blow and draw reeds corresponding to the same note.

The resonance chambers may, of course, be suitably fabricated of wood,plastic or other suitable material and glued, tacked or otherwisesecured in place.

During operation, the air striking th blow and draw reeds will be forcedto pass in a substantially S-shaped direction to the resonance chambersfrom the openings 54 to the openings Zi, and vice versa. I have foundthat this occasions a deeper, more resonant quality to the soundsresulting in richer notes.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 4, there is shown a modified form ofthe present invention wherein the panel .19a is now provided with fourtransversely spaced rows of openings 21o, the feet 2da and 29a will eachbe adapted to close two such transversely aligned openings. A panel 49ais now provided on its upper surface with ridges iin and 42a secured tothe undersurface of panel 19a and serving to slidably mount the slides45a, the panel 40a being provided with openings i411 aligned with theopenings 21a. The slides i551 are provided with openings 46a adapted tobe aligned with the openings 21a and 44a. A felt pad 65 is secured tothe undersurface of panel 40a and is provided with openings aligned withthe openings 21a and 44a. Felt pads 65 are provided intermediate thebottom of panel 56 and panel 64, the pads 66 being provided withopenings 67 aligned with the openings in the two panels. It will benoted in this form that only one pair of chambers 43 and 49 are providedbelow the innermost rows of openings 21a.

In other respects the form of the invention shown in Fig. 4 is the sameas that shown in Figs. 1 through 3 and like reference numerals identifylike parts throughout the several views,

Referring now particularly to Fig. 5, there is shown a still furthermodied form of the present invention, and

differing from the previous forms in the arrangement of the openings inthe bottom wall of the resonance chamber.

In this form the bottom wall 53a is now provided with openings 54aaligned vertically with the openings 2in. Thus, the air passingintermediate the panel E9n and the reeds 50 will pass through theresonance chambers in a substantially vertical direction. It will benoted that the chamber 49 mounting the blow and draw reeds is positioneddirectly below the openings 54a.

ln other respects the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5 is the sameas that shown in Fig. 4, and like reference numerals identify like partsthroughout the several views.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope ofthe present invention as defined by the appended claim.

i claim:

In an accordion having a panel having a plurality of laterally spacedrows of openings adapted to be opened and closed by a keyboard and adraw reed and a blow reed disposed below each of said openings, thatimprovement which comprises a separate resonance chamber disposed beloweach of the openings in the two rows closest and farthest from thekeyboard and between each such opening in the outer rows and the drawand blow reeds associated with each such opening in the outer rows, apair of resonance chamber housings extending substantially the length ofthe rows of panel openings closest and farthest from the keyboardtherebelow, each of said resonance chamber housings including a bottomwall having longitudinally spaced openings corresponding to anddisplaced vertically from the panel openings, and partitions within eachof resonance chamber housings on each side ot' each of said bottom wallopenings, said resonance chambers comprising the spaces intermediate thepartitions, and track means provided on the undersurface of each of thebottom walls below said bottom wall openings, said track means havinglongitudinally spaced openings aligned vertically with said bottom wallopenings, an elongated slide intermediate said bottom wall and saidtrack means, said slide having openings adapted to be aligned verticallywith said bottom wall openings and reed means below each of said slidesand track means, comprising an elongated chamber secured to theundersurface of each of said resonance chamber bottom walls below saidslide and track means, said longitudinally extending chamber havingpairs of vertical openmgs longitudinally spaced from each other, eachpair of said vertical openings being disposed in lateral alignment withone of said bottom wall openings, and a reed secured to the inside ofsaid chamber over one of said pair or openings and a second reed securedto the outside of said chamber over the other of said pair of verticalopenings, four rows of said panel openings being provided, track meansbelow each of the innermost two rows of panel openings, slides withineach of said track means, said track means having openings alignedvertically with the panel openings, each of said slides having openingsadapted to be aligned with said panel openings, and reed means beloweach of said slides and track means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,985,102 Montenare Dec. 18, 1934 2,208,038 Luttbeg July 16, 19402,219,598 Manishko Oct. 29, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 906,170 Germany July 8,1949 458,165 Italy July 1, 1950

